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Pokémon Go Adds Mew In New Update

Whip out those Master Balls and get ready to catch 'em all thanks to the long-awaited arrival of Mew to Pokémon Go.

The 151st Pokémon has become something of a legend over the years, first appearing in the ever-popular Pokémon: The First Movie: Mewtwo Strikes Back. However, while Go has moved beyond Generation 1, 2, and even 3, there has still been no sign of that pink psychic cutie. Even big brother Mewtwo made its way into the game, but developers Niantic promise all this is about to change.

According to Niantic, Mew is on its way starting March 30. While data miners had already uncovered that single-player quests were on the way thanks to the code of the game, Pokémon Go is finally revealing how it all works:

"Trainers will begin receiving research tasks later this week, adding new activities and challenges that can be completed for in-game rewards. Some of these rewards will lead Trainers to access unique storylines that include discovering the mystery behind the Mythical Pokémon Mew."

"Pokémon GO’s new research feature will provide Trainers with unique activities called Field Research and Special Research. Field Research tasks can be collected by spinning nearby PokéStops, and they include a wide range of Pokémon-related activities. Special Research tasks are story-driven activities that may be requested by Professor Willow himself, and they will unfold as the Trainer completes more objectives."

The Field Research is an interesting addition that can be completed multiple times a day, but it is the Special Research provided by NPC Professor Willow that is the big selling point of the latest update. As players progress collecting their "Mew stamps," the tasks will become increasingly hard, presumably leading to a final battle where Mew appears as the end game.

Known for its mythical properties, Mew falls into the category of a Legendary Pokémon, meaning its arrival is more than just your standard shiny Magikarp. As with all these things though, you aren't guaranteed to grab a Mew at the end of the quest, so it might take a few tries before snaring the crafty creature. Given that Mew became something of a myth in Pokémon Red, Blue or Yellow (no, it wasn't hiding under a truck by the SS Anne), the character's arrival in Go is something of a fanboy's dream.

Pokémon Go has struggled to keep players in recent months, and while there are still millions of people playing, their scattered location around the world has made the game's raid system almost impossible in some areas. Mewtwo's arrival back in August was also something of a disappointing affair, with many gamers still missing the evil kitty from their Pokédex. Thankfully, Niantic is mixing it up this time, actually adding story elements to the game for the first time since it launched back in 2016.

Although daily rewards are nothing new to Go, performing actual tasks may provide more an incentive for players to pick up the app once again. However, once you catch Mew, will it be just as easy to put the game down again? One of the biggest problems with Pokémon Go is its lack of PvP battles - there is no point in having such an impressive roster of Pocket Monsters if there is no one to show them off against. At least the addition of a more story-driven experience shows that Niantic is moving with the times, but is it a case of too little, too late for Pokémon Go?